This instrument is fitted with a Oxford Inca 300 EDS system.
The Philips XL30 ESEM-FEG offers high resolution secondary electron imaging at pressures as high as 10 torr and sample temperatures as high as 1,500 oC. This means that wet, oily, dirty, outgassing and non-conductive samples can be examined in their natural state without significant sample modification or preparation.
The XL30 ESEM-FEG is the first Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM®) to employ the stable, high brightness Schottky Field Emission Source for outstanding observation performance of potentially problematic samples for conventional high vacuum SEMs.
- True secondary electron imaging at 10 torr chamber pressure
- No charging of non-conductive samples
- Low-Z materials
- Observation of contaminating samples
- Porous material observation
- BC stability < 1% / hour, Schottky emitter
- Hydrated samples remain fully stable
- No coating interference
- Phase transitions
- Hydration processes
- Stress testing
The benefits of the ESEM-FEG are realized by eliminating the high vacuum requirements of SEMs in the microscope chamber. This is done by separating the vacuum environment in the chamber from the high vacuum environment in the column and FEG source area.
Two Pressure Limiting Apertures (PLAs) separate the microscope chamber from the FEG column. The three regions created by these PLAs are separately pumped. This causes a graduated vacuum from 10 torr in the chamber (above the vapor pressure of water) to 10-8 torr in the middle region of the column down to 10-10 torr in the emission chamber.
Low vacuum and conventional high vacuum modes can be selected as can the chamber pressure in Wet mode (using water vapor) and Aux mode (using any other gas.)
Additionaly the instrument has a PolarPrep 2000 cryo-stage system fitted enabling observation of rapidly frozen hydrated samples at temperatures down to -150o C